NTSB Factual Report

On July 12, 2018, about 1647 eastern daylight time, a Cessna A188B, N2483J, made a forced landing after a loss of engine power near Rockford, Ohio. The pilot was not injured; the airplane sustained minor damage. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 as an aerial-application flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the flight, which was not on a flight plan. The airplane departed about 1620 from the Lakefield Airport (CQA), Celina, Ohio, on a local flight.

The pilot reported that he was flying at 350 ft above ground level when the engine started running rough and then stopped producing power. He executed a forced landing to a bean field, which resulted in minor damage to the right wing. The examination of the engine revealed that there was a hole in the engine case near the No. 2 cylinder.

At 1554, the surface weather observation at the Fort Wayne International Airport (FWA), Fort Wayne, Indiana, located 30 nm northwest of the accident site was: wind 140° at 6 knots; visibility 10 miles; broken clouds at 25,000 ft; temperature 29° C; dew point 16° C; and altimeter 30.19 inches of mercury.